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Behind the scenes with CNET at Mobile World Congress 2016

See what CNET's crack team of editors go through to bring you all the best news from the world's biggest mobile trade show.

Andrew Lanxon Editor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
Expertise Smartphones, Photography, iOS, Android, gaming, outdoor pursuits Credentials
  • Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
Andrew Lanxon
2 min read

We've hauled our gear around endless meetings, we've drunk all the coffee we can find and we've found a collection of disgusting purple couches. It's all kicking off at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

MWC is the world's largest mobile-focused trade show, where the biggest beasts in the industry are showing off their latest and greatest products, like the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7. CNET is out in force this year, working hard to bring you the best tech news around.

Here's a glimpse of what our team endures to make this show as special as it can be. We'll bring you more behind-the-scenes content throughout the week, so keep checking back to see what's going on.

I had some important things to say to the common folk:

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Seamus Byrne/CNET

We find an immense selfie stick and we all get a bit overexcited:

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Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Video producer Jonathan Garnham relaxes after a tough day of work with some light reading:

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Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The CNET stand played host to a live recording of the wonderful CNET UK podcast, which you can listen to here:

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Kent German/CNET

The whole team enjoying all the natural sunlight in our dedicated work room:

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Kent German/CNET

My pursuit of steak did not subside throughout the week:

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Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Samsung showed off a VR roller coaster, so of course we all had to take a ride:

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Kent German/CNET

It wouldn't be Barcelona without some sort of strike taking place. This time, it was the metro line:

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Shara Tibken/CNET

Day two in Barcelona meant only one thing: Samsung's massive launch event:

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Kent German/CNET

Everyone at CNET is well trained in queueing:

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Sarah Tew/CNET

We were not expecting Samsung to have provided VR headsets for everyone at the conference:

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Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung had some helpful advice on care of our headsets:

We definitely weren't expecting the Zuckdawg himself to turn up at the show:

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Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It was so exciting, we didn't even stop to enjoy the variety of booze on offer:

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Shara Tibken/CNET

Leaving Samsung, I found perhaps the best door at this year's MWC:

And Seamus Byrne chatted to me about which of Australia's most deadly animals he'd like to film using Samsung's new Gear 360 camera:

CNET always rides in style:

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Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Meanwhile, the rest of the CNET team gets to work at mini-showcase Pepcom, with Luke Westaway getting perhaps a touch too curious:

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Kent German/CNET

After a busy day, there was only one thing on our minds. Food:

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Kent German/CNET

Huawei's press conference kicks off proceedings with a bit of colour:

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Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

You can't write quality content on an empty stomach:

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Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Just ask me:

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Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Reporter Katie Collins is taking to Spain really rather well, thank you:

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Katie Collins/CNET


Meanwhile, Jessica and Shara explore the mysteries of their Barcelona hotel:

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Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Most of the CNET team flew into Barcelona from our offices in Sydney, San Francisco, New York, Singapore and London:

Arriving in Barcelona timelapse

¡Estamos aquí! We're here in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress. Get the latest news from the show here: http://cnet.co/1TuJnd7

Posted by CNET on Friday, 19 February 2016

Except for me and Luke Westaway, who decided to drive 1,000 miles from London in a Tesla:

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Andrew Hoyle/CNET